The changes formed part of WSET’s aim to ensure its qualifications remained current and job-relevant, equipping students with the skills and expertise they need, he added.

Aimed at students who have already completed Level 2, the new WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits is designed to complement the global growth in spirits and the industry’s demand for advanced level, brand neutral knowledge. The course will build on the WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits, providing greater detail on production choices and their impact on style and quality. It will also cover a broader spectrum of world spirits, including the key Asian spirits: Baijiu, Soju and Shochu. As with other WSET Level 3 qualifications, the exam will include both a blind tasting exam and a written paper comprising multiple-choice and short written answer questions.

The WSET Level 2 Award in Wines will replace the current Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits. By removing spirits, students will be able to focus exclusively on their wine knowledge. The qualification complements the WSET Level 1 Award in Wines, providing the enthusiast and the wine professional with a broad foundation of wine knowledge.

The WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines is WSET’s new flagship qualification - changes include the removal of spirits to allow more in-depth coverage of wine; an increase in the delivery time for the Wines of the World Unit; a different assessment format for the two ‘foundation’ Units - covering wine production and wine business - tailored to new Learning Outcomes to ensure candidates have achieved the required knowledge for success in later Unit; a new in-depth research assignment designed to assess the candidate’s ability to research beyond WSET’s learning materials to evaluate the current trends in wine. Following the Unit-based format of the current Diploma, the new qualification will be supported by new digital learning materials and dedicated educator resources to promote first-class learning.